Buttonhole sewing machine



July 22, 1952 M. c. RlcH BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 8, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Il 9 0 kill s, 0 4 50 A ,22 L @A r ...L 2

July 22, 1952 M. c. RICH BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 8, 1949 July 2?, 1952 M. c. RICH BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Jan. 8. 1949 Patented July 22, 1952 @UNITED STATES PArENr^oFF1cs- Reece Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application January 8, 1949, Serial No. 69,858. Divided and this application February 23, 1949,A Serial No. v77,958

3 Claims. 1

This is a division of my copending application Serial No. 69,858, iiled January 8, 1949, now Patent No. 2,573,359, dated October 30, 1951, for Button Hole Sewing Machine and fully describing and illustrating but not claiming the subject matter claimed herein.

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to start and stop mechanism for the stitching mechanism. Recent inventions in the sewing machine art have provided improved machines, particularly machines for forming butto-n holes, which are hydraulically operated by fluid under pressure as shown and described in my said 'copending application Serial No. 69,858 of January 8, 1949, and in the application of Franklin A. Reece, Serial No. 67,671, filed December 28, 1948, now Patent No. 2,555,095, dated May 29, 1951-. In the improved art, as illustrated by these applications, it has been found that a much higher speed, more compact, lighter, more economical and smoother running machine for forming buttonholes can be provided by operating the mechanisms in automatic sequence by uidunder pressure according to the respective inventions. It has also been found expedient to operate byvdirect mechanical linkage with power operating means, some ofthe reciprocating needle and looper carrying. parts of the stitching mechanisms. In such cases the power operating means are usually also employed for generating the fluid pressure for the operation of all the other motions in the machines.

In the machines described and illustrated in both of the above mentioned copending applications, the needle bar reciprocation and the oscillation of the loopers inthe lower stitching mechf anisms are accomplished by mechanical linkages in each case driving through a stitching mechanism drive clutch which is engaged during sewing to operate the said parts of the stitching mechanisms and is otherwise disengaged before and after sewing during the remainder. of the fully automatic operative cycle of the machine. In order to control the operation of the said machines automatically electric operating and control mechanism is provided in an electric control circuit including control switches for the various fiuid pressure operated motors, the switches being operative automaticallyat various predetermined points in the operative cycle of the said machines.

In such a machine, most of the parts of which are operated by fluid under pressure, but in which also some of the reciprocating partsof the stitchingmechanisms are mechanically driven from the main power operating means, it is desirable to y matic electric control system and 2 provide starting and stopping mechanism for the sewing drive clutch, operation of which is controlled electrically in cooperation with the automechansm of the machine. j

Accordingly I have accomplished these objects by the provision of electrically operated start and positive stop mechanism for the sewing drive clutchA operating in predetermined adjustable time with the operative cycle 'of the sewing machine. l

At the much higher speeds of operation of ,ther machine illustrated herein and similar machines, it is desirable and necessary'to have light, quick acting and simple control mechanisms which can be timed precisely to operate in cooperation with other mechanisms in the machine.' t will also be understood that the, control mechanism Zdescribed, while meeting these requirements, must also be able to withstand the terrific shocksl of sudden starts and stops ,of the parts operating at very high speeds. trol mechanism which has adequate stamina for this requirement and vwhich at the same time is sensitively and immediately responsive to control signals imparted by a finely adjusted electric control system. f

The mechanism of the present invention ris yshown. and described in my said copending application and in the following description and the accompanying drawings of its embodiment in a hydraulically operated machine for forming piped buttonholes and which, however, are intended to il1ustrate`one form of the invention and nct'to limit its scope beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In the drawings:

, Fig. 1 is a general side elevation view partly broken awayA and in section of a machine for forming piped buttonholes incorporating the mechanism of my invention;

l Fig. 2 is a front elevation view partly'in section showing a sewing drive clutch and part of the linkage for reciprocating the needle bar and the loopers lof the stitching mechanism;

, lFig. 3 is a view of a part of the clutch illustrated in Fig. 2;

i Fig. 7' is a partial side elevation view partly in f' section of the mechanismv and` clutch showing I have provided a clutch con- Such a machine includes upper,

In 'this j supported in a housing I4 which is fixed relative' to the machine in a fore andaft direction and to a bed plate 2, the latter supporting the lower stitching mechanism II also'xed in .,a'fore and aft direction relative to the machine: The work f (not shown) is supported in mechanism including a work clamp 'I and moves or feeds relative to the stitching mechanisms I and Il for forming a row of stitches therein, the work clamp 'I being slidable on the Abed plate .2y to the leftl and right relative to the stitching mechanisms I@ and I I as viewed in Fig. 1,. The upper stitching mechanism I0 includes a vertically reciprocating needle bar I2, and vattached to its lower end .a needle clamp I and a pair of needles I6 (only one being visible)Y adapted topenetrate the work and form stitches in cooperation with apairof loopers (not shown) in the .lower stitching mechanism II which are oscillated by the reciprocation of mechanism including the arm I3. The mechanism for reciprocating the needle, bar I2 inbeltingv 26 4runl vconstantly in this machine throughout its operative cycle. Y

A sewing drive clutch generally indicated at 3|) and connecting the shaft parts 25a and 25h is engaged` at thecommencement of sewing yto drive the driven part b`andthe upper and lower stitching mechanisms Il) and II Vand disengaged atthe end of sewing to bring them toa positive stop. A flange shaped driving member 3| is xed to the'driving shaft part `2 5a, and a driven clutch member v32 is iixed to the driven shaft part 2 5b, and part of its mechanism is enclosed and engaged by the driving member 3|, and it floats freely on `the end ofthe driving shaft part 25a.

Fixed .to the driven member 32 is a clutch shoe v ing rotatably externallylvof the hub part of the driven-member `32 is a Vshoe expansion `cam 4 5, Figs. 2 and 3, having a pair ofcam-suri'aces 46 engaging rollers 41 attached tothe cam shoes 4B and 4I thereby expanding the shoesuwhlenvturned in a counterclockwise direction-.asviewed in Fig.

17,and allowing the shoes toicontract underv the tension of springs |20 when rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8 relative to the clutch driven member 32.

A stop dog 5U integral with the Vcam member 45 projects externally through a slot 52 in the driven memberpart 33, the advanced end of the slot 52 being indicated by the lines53`,Figs.-' 7, 8 and 9, and the retarded end thereof being indicated by the line 54. A coil spring 58 between the driven Amember part 33 and the cam member 45 urges the V,cam rotatively relative to the driven member 32 vso that the stop dog 50 is normally positioned .in the-advanced end 53 of the slot 52 or in a counterclockwise direction relative tothe driven member 32, thus normally engaging the driving member 3| to the driven member 32 for operating the stitching mechanisms I0 and II. As long as the stop dog 50 :is allowed to rotate uninterrupted with Ythe parts 30, the stitching mechanisms II! and I I are drivingly connected to the driving shaft part 25a, but when the rotation of the stop dog Eil is interrupted, itis .retarded in the'slot 52 .relative Vtothe rotation of the, driven member 32, the clutch shoes 40 and 4| are allowed to contract as viewed in Fig. 8, lthe driven member 32 is disengaged from the driving member 3|, and when the stop dog reaches the retarded end '5 of the slot 5,2, the driven member 32 is lthen brought to a positive predeterminedstopr. The mechanism of the clutch 3||V soyfajrdescribed is commonly known mechanism inf a normally engaged self-engaging clutch', interruption of the rotation of part of which, not only disengages the clutch but brings its driven side to a positive stop. 1 Y Y To stop and start the stitching mechanism according to the invention herein, I provide a clutch interruptingl finger pivotedat 6'|`on,an arm 62 which, in turn, is pivoted at 63 to part of the machine frame 64. When the nger 60 is in the up position and engaging the stop dog 50, Figs. 5 and 8, the clutch 30 is disengaged and stopped andthe stitching mechanisms I0 and lII are in rest position. When the finger is iny down position, Fig. '7, the c1utcli30 is engaged andthe n stitching mechanisms Iand II are operating. l To lower the finger 60 out of theway of the stop dog 50, I provide a clutchstart solenoid 10, the arm II of which isattached to thefmger 6|) by a link '|2. Attached to the lower end of the plunger 1| is a rock arm 13 pivoted Vat 'I4 to the frame 64 and whose other end 'I5 isin a clutch stop position t0 the right, Fig.V 5, when the solenoid plunger v'II is down and the finger 60 is holding the clutch 30 in stop position. When in this position, the Varm 'I5 abuts the end of another solenoid plunger .80 in a clutch stop solenoid 3|, holding the plunger 80 to the right against the force of a spring 82 as lshown in Fig. 6, The finger E!) is held iriorrna'lly in its up position to hold the clutch 3|)v disengaged by the VWeight of the clutch startfsolenoid plunger `|I partly aided by thejtension cfa spring 83 between thevirame 64 andthe arnrl. When the solenoid 'i0 is energized, the' solenoid Aplunger' 'II .rises and the inger'disengages the stop dog 50 allowing the clutch 30 to engage and start the stitching mechanisms 'III .and I|. At 'the same time the arm 15 moves tothe left as viewedin Fig. 5 and allowsthe clutch'stop solenoid plunger 8i)y to move to the .left and on past the arm 'I5 to its extended dotted ,linepos'ition seen.. in Fig.; 6. Since the clutch startsbleno'id I0 is onlymomentarilyenergized to allow the'olutchf toengage movement'of the clutchstopsolenoid plunger 80 past the arm 15 and to a position preventing its return to the right maintains the linger 60 out of engagement with the stop dog 50. At the end of sewing, the clutch stop solenoid 8| is momentarily energized, moving its plunger 80 back to the right as viewed in Fig. 6, long enough to allow the stop plungerv 'il to drop and the arm 'I5 to move back to the right, as viewed in Fig. 5, again causing the interrupting linger 60 to engage the stop dog (i and stop the clutch 30. The plungerri thus comprises a lock mechanism which locks out the nger 50 automatically and releases it at a predetermined point. rI'he clutch 30 is maintained disengaged until the clutch start solenoid 'l0 is again energized.

When the interrupting finger G0 engages the stop dog 50. the latter moving at extremely high speed tends to move the arm 62 in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. when the dog 50 has been moved to the retardedend 50 of its slot 52 and, therefore, has the inertia of the driven parts behind it, and the shock of sudden stopping of the clutch is absorbed by a heavy spring 85 engaged by the lower end of the arm B2.

An anti-back lash nger 90 pivoted on the frame 6d at 9| is normally urged by a spring 92 to engage a notch 03 in the driven member part 33 of the clutch 30 afterthe interrupting linger v50 engages the stop dog 50, and moves it to its retarded position in order to prevent the clutch from back lashing and re-engaging itself under the force of the spring 5'6. When the solenoid 'l0 is energized to disengage the interrupting finger 60, a boss or projection 94 on the finger 00 rises against a sloping cam surface 05 on a lower arm of the nger 90 and lifts the finger 00 out of the notch 03 until the next time the clutch is disengaged. The sewing operation is the first operation in the cycle of the machine illustrated after the Work has been positioned, and it is started by the closing of a manually operated switch |00 having a push button |0|, Figs. 1 and 4, which energizes the solenoid and the stitching mechanisms l0 and I commence operating as described. At the same time by mechanisms described in my said copending application, the work clamp 1 feeds to the left as viewed in Fig, `1. An adjustably positioned switch cam |02 attached to the moving work clamp 'l engages the arm |05 of a normally open switch |05 to close it at the end of sewing. The closing of the switch |06 energizes the solenoid 8| as described and stops sewing. The switch cam |02 is adjustable in position so that sewing will be stopped at the end of a row of stitching of predetermined length.

The solenoids 10 and 8| may be connected across the lines ||0 and of an electric power source through the switches |00 and |06 as shown in the simplied wiring diagram of Fig. 4 and they may be adopted to cooperate with the electric control mechanism along with the fluid pressaid clutch and brings said driven part to a positive stop, and start and stop mechanism for said clutch including an interrupting linger engaging said stop dog to disengage and stop said clutch at the end of sewing and disengaging said stop dog v to engage said clutch at the commencement of sewing; electric operating means for said interrupting finger, said means including a circuit, a solenoid in the circuit connected to actuate said finger and a control switch for said solenoid, said switch being actuated at a predetermined point in the cycle of operation of said machine.

2. In a sewing machine, said machine having stitching mechanism and a work clamp movable relatively to each other, power operating means, a clutch connecting said stitching mechanism, and said power means, said clutch including a normally engaged driven part and a rotating stop dog which, when the latter is interrupted disengages said clutch and brings said driven part to a positive stop, and start and stop mechanism for said clutch including an interrupting finger engaging said stop dog to disengage and stop said clutch at the end of sewing and disengaging said stop dog to engage said clutch at the commencement of sewing; electric operating means for said interrupting nger including a circuit, a pair of solenoids in said circuit, said solenoids being connected respectively to engage and disengage said finger, and switches for said solenoids, at least one of said switches being actuated at a predetermined point in the cycle of operation of said machine.

3. In a sewing machine having stitching mechanism and a work clamp movable relatively to each other, power operating means, a clutch connecting said stitching mechanism and 4power means, said clutch including a normally engaged driven part and a rotating stop dog which, when the latter is interrupted disengages said clutch and brings said driven part to a positive stop, and

start and stop mechanism for said clutch includ-l ing an interrupting finger engaging said stop dog to disengage and stop said clutch at the end of sewing and disengaging said stop `dog to engage said clutch at the commencement of sewing; operating means for said interrupting finger including a circuit, a'start solenoid in said circuit connected to disengage said linger, lock mechanism to hold said iinger disengaged, a stop solenoid in said circuit connected to release said lock mechanism thereby allowing said finger to reengage, and switches for said solenoids, said switches being actuated at predetermined points in the cycle of operation of said machine.

MARION C. RICH,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,915,910 Allen June 27, 1933 2,158,200 Reece May 16, 1939 2,195,890 McCann Apr. 2, 1940 2,225,565 McCann Dec. 17,1940 2,288,135 Hoza June 30,1942 2,324,080 Haunty July 13, 1943 2,340,391 Ladd Feb. 1, 1944 l 2,385,768 Althens Oct. 2, 1945 

